Recently in All My Children

ALL MY CHILDREN alum Jesse McCartney (J.R.) is making another guest appearance on the ABC Family series YOUNG & HUNGRY in tonight's episode, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET. In the episode titled "Young & Too Late," Gabi is freaking out about why Josh called off the wedding, and wonders if she should be with him or McCartney's character, Cooper. But it's another character entirely who makes a shocking discovery! Tune in for all the laughs tonight!

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We've seen ALL MY CHILDREN's Carrie Genzel (Skye) play lawyers, federal agents, love interests, mothers and femme fatales, but in the new horror flick, Dead Rising: Watchtower, fans will see her in a scenario much closer to her own personality: She's hilarious! "It's based on a really successful series of videogames about a zombie apocalypse," the actress relates. "I play Susan Collier, the newscaster whom you'll see a lot in the movie, and Rob Riggle [MODERN FAMILY, THE DAILY SHOW, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE] plays Frank West, the hero of the first videogame and one of my reporters."

While the fright fest continues in the outside world from which there are dire reports and updates about the flesh-eaters ("I have an exchange with Jesse Metcalf's [DALLAS, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES] character, who's feeding me stories live from the quarantine zone," she reveals), in the newsroom, a totally different reality exists. "At the beginning of the film, when Frank comes in, she really thinks this is gonna be the interview that truly propels her career," Genzel previews. "But as they interact, he's a know-it-all, he's sarcastic, he's hitting on her... there's some really funny, candid moments where she just starts breaking down on camera."

Look for Genzel to begin reporting on all of the crazy zombie drama when the film begins streaming exclusively on Crackle beginning Friday, March 27, but you can watch a teaser trailer for it by clicking here. For information about the actress' other exciting projects, check out her upcoming Keeping Track feature in ABC Soaps In Depth on sale Monday, April 27.

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Today we go back to a 2001 cover shoot, when Finola Hughes (Anna, GENERAL HOSPITAL) was living in ALL MY CHILDREN's Pine Valley as Alexandra Devane Marick... or was she GH's presumed-dead Anna after all? As it turns out, the ladies were twin sisters, who'd be separated at birth!

Share your favorite memory of Hughes' double duty on AMC with us in the comments below!

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ALL MY CHILDREN fans remember Cameron Mathison as Ryan Lavery, the guy whose hero complex frequently led him to try to fix situations. Now, the actor/GOOD MORNING AMERICA correspondent is fixing things again as the host of two new home improvement shows: GAME OF HOMES and CAMERON'S HOUSE RULES, both of which debuted on Tuesday, March 17, from Canada's W Network (and hopefully to US viewers later).

"On GAME OF HOMES, we took four rundown houses, lifted them off their foundations, and transported them to downtown Vancouver, where we assigned a two-person team to renovate each one," Mathison relates. "As the host, I present [assignments] like the living room challenge where I say you've got this much time, this much money, and this is what you have to incorporate." However, there's also a reality show element in that the contestants will also be seen living in the houses during the work. "The ultimate prize," Mathison reveals, "is that they winning team gets their house and a piece of land for us to move it to."

For Mathison, who studied structural engineering in college and who flips houses as a personal hobby, hosting the show wasn't enough; he wanted to get his hands dirty too! So the W Network is also launching an online, companion program called CAMERON'S HOUSE RULES that you can watch at this link, where Mathison will be given a challenge of his own to complete at his Spanish style home in Southern California. "We ended up turning my detached garage into a media room/game room for the family  it's amazing!" Mathison reveals of the five-day project. "People that watch GAME OF HOMES may not know my connection to the design-build world, but they'll get to see me, the host, with my wife and kids and actually doing the work at my house."

For more about what Mathison's been up to, including details on his upcoming series of Hallmark Movies & Mysteries films opposite DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Alison Sweeney (ex-Sami), check out his Keeping Track feature in the issue of ABC Soaps In Depth that goes on sale Monday, April 27.

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Vanessa Marcil (ex-Brenda, GENERAL HOSPITAL) is returning to soaps  sort of. The fan favorite is joining forces with a bevy of beauties from the soap world in the new original reality series QUEENS OF DRAMA, set to debut on Pop (formerly The TV Guide Network) on Sunday, April 26 at 10:00 p.m. EST before setting into its regular time slot on Wednesday, April 29 at 8:00 p.m. EST.

The women band together on the show in order to take control of their careers and produce and star in a new serialized drama so there's a "show" within the show. How much "drama" will be found in QUEENS OF DRAMA? "Everyone addresses their opinions in different ways," Marcil tells Soaps In Depth. "All of us have a different style in how we agree, how we disagree. We have big personalities in one way or another. In that sense, there's a lot of conflict that there is when you put any kind of project together."

Catch a sneak preview of QUEENS OF DRAMA in the following clip and watch for a dramatic appearance at the end by none other than Joan Collins (Alexis, DYNASTY; Alexandra, GL)!

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ALL MY CHILDREN alum Josh Duhamel (Leo) will visit THE TALK tomorrow, airing at 2 p.m. EST on CBS! The actor will be joined by his BATTLE CREEK co-star Dean Winters to chat with the hostesses about their upcoming CBS drama, set to debut this Sunday, March 1, at 10 p.m. EST. For a preview of BATTLE CREEK, visit www.cbs.com.

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For the past two years, Keith Hamilton Cobb (ex-Damon, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS; Noah, ALL MY CHILDREN) has been fine-tuning a one-man play, American Moor, which he wrote and stars in. After performing the piece in smaller theaters and workshops, the actor will soon be taking his show back to where he began his career: the New York stage! "That's a big deal," he shares with Soaps In Depth. "It will be the show's Manhattan debut. That's exciting to me, to be doing some of my own work on a stage in the big city where I started to do this theater stuff!"

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Earlier this year, ALL MY CHILDREN's Cameron Mathison (Ryan) got the laughs as Joy's boyfriend on TV Land's HOT IN CLEVELAND. But when he returns to the network for a guest appearance in the Wednesday, December 3 episode of THE EXES, he won't be making friends. Rather, he's there to make a deal! "I'm definitely the straight guy [in this comedy]," Mathison acknowledges of his role as Haskell's lousy, long-lost brother. "He comes back seemingly to get close again, but ultimately needing a kidney!"

The former soap star says that working with the talented cast of comics, including SEINFELD icon Wayne Knight as Haskell, was the best part of the experience. "It was a whole week! We rehearsed for four days and then shot [live] it in a day," he relates. "It was so fun to watch these incredibly funny guys go through their own processes, and it was a very cool schedule. I loved it." Might Mathison turn up on the show again? "Yeah, anytime you're playing family of the regular cast there's always a possibility," he says. "Working for TV Land has been pretty good!"

The episode airs at 10:30 on Wednesday, December 3, on TV Land, but you can watch a sneak peek right here!

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Throughout December, the award-winning Web drama THE BAY will return with two more exciting chapters of story which will be told weekly over the course of eight 20-minute episodes. The chapters will feature another tragic death, as well as address last summer's cliffhangers. Will Lianna (Jade Harlow, ex-Sheryl, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) find out about Janice's (Lilly Melgar, ex-Lily, GENERAL HOSPTIAL) scintillating affair with young Peter? Will Lex (Tristan Rogers, Colin, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS) reveal the identity of the person that he thinks Peter's socialite mom, Sara (Mary Beth Evans, Kayla, DAYS) killed? And how might the return of Liza (ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Ilene Kristen, Roxy) affect his recent efforts to revive his relationship with Sara?

To help play out all of these storylines and more, a host of new faces will be joining the cast. "Alicia Leigh Willis (ex-Courtney, GH) and Eric Nelsen (A.J., ALL MY CHILDREN) will play Sara's niece and nephew, Avery and Daniel, respectively," series creator Gregori J. Martin reveals. "Lindsay Hartley (Cara, AMC; ex-Arianna, DAYS) is coming in as a woman from Marly's (Martha Madison, ex-Belle, DAYS) past, Eric Martsolf (Brady, DAYS) will appear in flashback as a younger Lee Nelson, and Judith McConnell (Sophia, SANTA BARBARA) will bring to life a role that fans have been anticipating for years!"

However, the news that has the Internet buzzing is that soap opera veteran A Martinez (best known as SB's Cruz) reunited with former castmates Lane Davies (Mackenzie; Mason, SB) and Nicolas Coster (Jack; Lionel, SB) on set when he taped his December 16 appearance on the show. "I'm playing Janice's father, Nardo. I'm trying to get information out of Lane's [police detective] character, whom the family thinks is not being forthcoming," Martinez offers. "And I got to be the voice of reason with Janice, as is a father's wont to do." Tune in to catch the first two new episodes, which will be released back to back, on Thursday, December 4, at 3 p.m. EST.

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If you're a soap fan who's also fond of horror films, then Jill Larson (Opal, ALL MY CHILDREN) has got the movie for you! The actress stars in The Taking Of Deborah Logan, a thriller in which she plays the title role, a woman who's diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Alas, poor Deborah's situation gets even more complicated after she starts to experience strange things that aren't consistent with the debilitating illness!

"I'd never even seen a horror film before," Larson tells Soaps In Depth. Initially, the fan favorite actress was hesitant about taking on a character who has Alzheimer's because her late mother suffered from the illness. "I'm very glad that I ended up doing it. It was a great experience and the people I worked with are fantastic in it."

As you can see from the DVD art, Larson undergoes quite the transformation in this film! "There were four stages of makeup," she says. "They had prosthetics attached to my face. My skin was badly beaten up by the end! I spent many hours in the makeup chair."

The film is both a horror flick and an examination about the devastation of Alzheimer's. "The filmmaker made this film because his grandmother had Alzheimer's and he loved her dearly," Larson says. "There's a lot of love invested in this character and I brought my own experiences to my portrayal."

The Taking Of Deborah Logan, which also stars Anne Ramsay (A League Of Their Own), is available on DVD and VOD (Video On Demand) starting Tuesday, November 4. It's also available for streaming on Netflix. To order on Amazon.com, click here, and to watch a trailer, click here!

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There's going to be an ALL MY CHILDREN reunion on the set of THE MEREDITH VIEIRA SHOW! According to Soap Opera Network, the Tuesday, December 2, episode of the syndicated talk show will feature Susan Lucci (Erica) being surprised by former AMC castmate Walt Willey (Jackson) as part of a "Soap Opera Showdown" segment. Click here to visit the show's Web site to find out where you can watch it in your area!

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Jen Lilley (Theresa, DAYS OF OUR LIVES; ex-Maxie, GENERAL HOSPITAL) is hosting a star-studded bowling tournament to benefit Childhelp, America's largest and longest-running nonprofit dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect. The event will be held on Sunday, October 19, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at PINZ Bowling in Studio City, CA.

Amongst the celebrity guests are daytime stars like Chrishell Stause (Jordan, DAYS; Amanda, ALL MY CHILDREN), Kelly Sullivan (Sage, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS; ex-Connie, GH), Patrika Darbo (ex-Nancy, DAYS), Ian Buchanan (Duke, GH), Finola Hughes (Anna, GH), Billy Flynn (Chad, DAYS), Judi Evans (Adrienne, DAYS), Casey Moss (JJ, DAYS), Kassie DePaiva (Eve, DAYS; Blair, ONE LIFE TO LIVE), Kristian Alfonso (Hope, DAYS), Robert Scott Wilson (Ben, DAYS; Pete, ALL MY CHILDREN), Camila Banus (ex-Gabi, DAYS), True O'Brien (Paige, DAYS) and Lauren Koslow (Kate, DAYS). "Jen is so nice -- she extended the invitation out to all the cast of DAYS and other people," Banus relates. "I'm so excited to be a part of it, to help spread awareness, to be able to be part of a great cause, and also have fun!"

For more details about the event, order tickets or simply contribute to the cause, click here.

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In real life, Lacey Chabert, who began her career playing a young Bianca on ALL MY CHILDREN, is a happy newlywed. However, in her upcoming film, Christian Mingle, she'll play a career woman taking on the challenge of finding an honest relationship. "It's about a girl who's unlucky in love and decides to go online and try [dating Web site] Christian Mingle, even though she's not a Christian," Chabert reveals. "I've never done it personally, but I think it's a great way for people to meet. We do everything else on-line, why wouldn't we want to meet someone?"

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Spend an intimate eventing with your favorite daytime and Broadway stars at the annual Jane Elissa Extravaganza For Leukemia And Cancer Research! The event will be held at the Time Square Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City on Monday, November 17.

There will be special performances, auctions, a raffle and goodie bags. Tickets range in price from $125 to $500. For more information and ticket purchase, call Jane Elissa at 917-732-1085 or Lauri Landry at 646-732-9397.

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Congratulations are in order for soap alum Rebecca Budig (Greenlee, ALL MY CHILDREN; Michelle, GUIDING LIGHT), who just welcomed a baby girl into the world! The actress' husband, Michael Benson, revealed the news on Twitter, posting: "Welcome to the world, Charlotte Jo Benson. Mom and daughter are doing great!" And with that tweet came an Instagram photo of Budig and her first child proving him right that you can see by clicking here! All the best to the happy family!

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The new celebrity contestants of DANCING WITH THE STARS were announced this morning, and there are two ABC Daytime alums competing for the Mirrorball trophy this season!

Antonio Sabáto Jr., best known to soap fans as GENERAL HOSPITAL's Jagger, will be performing with professional partner Cheryl Burke. She helped her partners Drew Lachey and Emmitt Smith come in first place in two consecutive seasons, so will she do the same for Sabáto?

ALL MY CHILDREN alum Jonathan Bennett (JR) is also one of the 13 celebrities hitting the dance floor, and he's partnered with professional hoofer Allison Holker. This is the first season of DWTS for Holker, but she's been an All-Star on FOX's SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE for years.

Sabáto and Bennett will be joined by fellow contestants Tommy Chong, Randy Couture, Betsey Johnson, Lolo Jones, Bethany Mota, Janel Parrish, Alfonso Ribeiro, Sadie Robertson, Tavis Smiley, Lea Thompson and Michael Waltrip. Watch and see how they do when the 19th season of DANCING WITH THE STARS premieres on Monday, September 15, at 8:00 p.m. EST. (And be sure to tune in on the following Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. EST to see who goes home!)

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On ALL MY CHILDREN, Sydney Penny's Julia had her fair share of trouble and angst as a young woman. Perhaps that experience will help the actress relate to her new role as Leona, the mother of tormented teen Mona Vanderwaal on ABC Family's PRETTY LITTLE LIARS. But how much does Leona really know about Mona's disturbing activities? "Leona is aware to the degree that mothers are aware of things," Penny chuckles. "I think that she sees her daughter in the way that parents see their children: in the very best light and in a protective way."

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Give ALL MY CHILDREN alum Jamie Luner (Liza) a good piece of drama to work with, and she'll deliver! In the premiere episode of HEARTBREAKERS, Investigation Discovery's (ID) new re-enactment series (airing Wednesday, August 13, at 10 p.m. EST), she'll bring to life a real-life crime so outrageous it could have come from a soap opera! And fortunately for her, co-stars Jack Wager (ex-Frisco, GENERAL HOSPITAL; ex-Nick, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL) and Rob Estes (both of whom she worked with on MELROSE PLACE) were also more than up to the task.

"It's about a woman [Teresa Stone] who was living in small, very faith-based town and unhappy in her marriage," Luner says of her character. "She got a lot of joy from listening to her pastor [David "Brother" Love, played by Wagner], and they sparked an interest in each other."

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While creator Ryan Murphy is remaining tight-lipped about the characters and story details surrounding the upcoming AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW, he did recently tweet that a daytime alum would be joining the cast of the FX series.

"Thrilled to announce the very talented Finn Wittrock has joined the cast of FREAK SHOW!" he posted on-line.

ALL MY CHILDREN fans will remember Wittrock from his stint as Tad's son, Damon. The actor has also made a name for himself on stage with a critically-acclaimed turn in Death Of A Salesman on Broadway. Wittrock has worked with producer Murphy before, in the recent HBO adaptation of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart.

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THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS was the big winner at last night's Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony, but the on-line reboot of ONE LIFE TO LIVE pulled off a victory for Outstanding Directing! And VENICE THE SERIES, from OLTL alums Crystal Chappell (Maggie) and Hillary B. Smith (OLTL) won the first-ever Emmy for New Approaches - Drama! Make the jump for a full list of winners, including the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which were handed out on Friday, June 20!

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Fans have lots of questions now that it's been announced that the 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are going to be broadcast not on a network or cable outlet, but rather streamed via the Internet at www.daytimeemmys.net beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST on Sunday, June 22. Soaps In Depth spoke to David Michaels, Senior Executive Director, Daytime Emmy Awards for The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences, about what viewers can expect on the big day!

Soaps In Depth: Will the format be different? Will the show have a time limit? David Michaels: As I understand it, the plan is for the show to go straight through  there will be no commercial breaks. We're treating it like a live show. It'll run for two hours.

In Depth: There tend to be fewer rules on the Internet about what people can do. Might we see more of a party atmosphere for this show? Michaels: I'm not sure. It's the same setting room and people, the same party. I don't know if people will feel that they can take advantage of the "no-holds-barred" rules of the Internet or not.

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Although the 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will not be broadcast on a television network, that doesn't mean that you won't be able to watch live and cheer on your favorite stars as the trophies are handed out. This year, the ceremony will be streamed live over the Internet, reports Deadline Hollywood!

You will be able to watch the show direct from the Beverly Hilton Hotel at www.daytimeemmys.net beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST on Sunday, June 22. Don't miss it!

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Lacey Chabert  the actress who, as a 10-year-old, got her television start playing Erica Kane's daughter, Bianca, on ALL MY CHILDREN  takes on the challenging role of a grieving single mother in Hallmark Movie Channel's new feature, The Color Of Rain.

Based on the true events described in Michael and Gina Spehn's best-selling book of the same name, the touching film is about a man and a woman who find new love  and a whole host of other challenges  upon connecting following the tragic deaths of their respective spouses. Chabert was excited by the opportunity to play Gina (opposite MOTIVE's Warren Christie as Michael) in the film. "It came with a great responsibility because I wanted to make them proud of what we were doing," she says of the inspirational story. "I thought it would be something that people could relate to and hopefully also learn from. I was really honored to be a part of it."

Chabert, who happened to be preparing for her own wedding during filming, couldn't help but take a few lessons from the relationship of the couple that the movie is based on. "In getting to know them, I think I've learned that it's important to find the levity in life and situations," the actress concludes. "I was inspired by how they truly live their faith, and the hope and peace that that brings to their life."

Tune in to catch the world premiere of The Color Of Rain on Saturday, May 31, at 9 p.m. EST on Hallmark Movie Channel.

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The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, in cooperation with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, have announced the nominees for the 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. Sadly, GENERAL HOSPITAL was shut out of the Best Show, Writing and Directing categories, but it earned some well-deserved acting nods. In better news, the short-lived online reboots of ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE were recognized with some nominations. AMC's were technical, but OLTL is up for Best Drama!

For the full list of the major nominations, read on! Who do you think will take home the trophies on Sunday, June 22?

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Congratulations are in order for ALL MY CHILDREN's Rebecca Budig (Greenlee), who is expecting her first child with husband Michael Benson! The actress made the exciting announcement publicly on THE BETTER SHOW, which she co-hosts with JD Roberto, and you can watch the clip below!

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The Emmy-winning Susan Lucci (Erica, ALL MY CHILDREN), who now stars on Lifetime's DEVIOUS MAIDS, will be making a special appearance on VERIA LIVING LIVE, an interactive lifestyle talk show on Veria Living TV.

She'll talk about what's to come on the second season of DEVIOUS MAIDS, her iconic role as AMC's Erica Kane, as well as her beauty secrets and the secrets to a successful marriage. Look for her in the Monday, April 28, episode airing at 1:00 p.m. EST on Veria Living TV. Click here to visit the network's Web site to see what channel it airs on in your area!

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The 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be held Sunday, June 22, at the Beverly Hilton. However, a broadcast deal has yet to be struck, so while the ceremony has aired on HLN for the last two years, there's no word on which network might air this ceremony yet. Still, the National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences are confident a deal will be reached.

The Creative Arts portion of the Daytime Emmys are scheduled to be handed out on Friday, June 20, at the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.

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Are you ready for the return of Susan Lucci (Erica, ALL MY CHILDREN) to HOT IN CLEVELAND? The daytime doyenne guest stars on tonight's episode of the TV Land hit comedy, playing herself... and rival of Wendie Malick's washed-up soap queen character, Victoria Chase.

Check out our sneak peek of Lucci's appearance in "The Undead," where she roasts her nemesis at Victoria's fake funeral. Then be sure to tune in tonight at 10 p.m. EST on TV Land to catch the whole show!

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Just three months into playing DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Ben, Justin Gaston has been replaced by former ALL MY CHILDREN hottie Robert Scott Wilson (Pete) on the NBC soap. Due to the accelerated taping schedule on DAYS, Wilson was actually on-set doing scenes before Gaston had even made his late-February debut as Jordan's brother.

After Prospect Park shuttered the AMC reboot, Wilson returned to his gig as a male model on THE PRICE IS RIGHT, but today marked his final appearance on the CBS game show, as acknowledged by host Drew Carey. "Thank you ALL for your love and support! @PriceIsRight will always have a place in my heart and my journey," Wilson tweeted after the news broke. "Many new things on the horizon!"

Look for Wilson to make his DAYS debut --- opposite fellow AMC alumna Chrishell Stause (Amanda), who plays his alter ego's sister, Jordan -- in late May.

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Susan Lucci (Erica, ALL MY CHILDREN) returns to the TV Land hit comedy HOT IN CLEVELAND tomorrow night, Wednesday, April 15! Once again, La Lucci will be playing herself, making her fifth appearance as Victoria's soap opera rival.

In the episode titled "The Undead," Elka throws a fake funeral for Victoria so that she can join her fugitive husband in hiding... and naturally, Susan attends to get the last laugh in their rivalry! Come back right here tomorrow for an exclusive sneak peek of the episode, then tune in at 10 p.m. EST on TV Land to see the hysterical show!

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Congratulations are in order for Jeff Branson (Jonathan, ALL MY CHILDREN) and longtime love Jaimie Foley on the birth of their first child, son Van James. The infant certainly took his time coming into the world, waiting until well past his due date, but now that he's here, the parents couldn't be happier. You can see a pic of the happy family on Twitter by clicking here!

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While awaiting the birth of his first child this year, Jeff Branson (Jonathan, ALL MY CHILDREN) has been keeping himself plenty busy! This weekend, he'll turn up on Lifetime in the thriller, Zoe Gone. "It's about Jennifer, a 16-year-old girl who has a baby (Zoe) with the support of her boyfriend, but the pressure is too much for him and he runs away," Branson offers. "Her mother is a divorcée who's got a boyfriend, which is where I come in. He's the guy who wanted the woman, but not necessarily the child, but took on the role of helping to raise her anyway. But when his gal becomes a grandmother, that wasn't in his plan. There are some moments of him not understanding and lashing out a bit."

The teenager's struggle to acclimate to motherhood and the drama that entails is further complicated by an unexpected twist: Baby Zoe goes missing! "That kicks in the young lady's maternal instincts," Branson relates. "Then the storyline becomes about finding the baby and [Jennifer] proving to herself the mother that she can be."

While Branson is reluctant to give away much more, he did want to praise the film's young star, Sammi Hanratty. "She knew exactly what she wanted to do with the role, and she ran with it right from the beginning!" he enthuses. "I think [the problem of] high school girls having babies and not knowing what to do or not having the support that they thought they would is a relevant topic. The soap fans will relate to it."

Zoe Gone premieres on Saturday, March 29, at 8 p.m. EST on Lifetime. Then you can keep an eye out for Branson's upcoming guest appearances on TNT's PERCEPTION and CBS' NCIS.

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Chris Bruno, who played gay teacher Michael Delaney on ALL MY CHILDREN and the grown-up, arrogant version of Dennis Carrington Wheeler on ANOTHER WORLD, is returning to television this weekend in the world premiere of Lifetime's Sorority Surrogate. In the soapy tale, a broke college co-ed (THE L.A. COMPLEX's Cassie Steele) agrees to carry a couple's baby for money. But when the parents-to-be are in a fatal accent prior to the birth, a battle for the unborn child ensues between the surviving family members, including the would-be grandparents: A congresswoman (Mimi Kuzyk) and her dangerous second husband (Bruno).

"It was super fun torturing Cassie since she's pretty tough and has a good sense of humor about it," Bruno recalls, adding, "[And it's] really fun playing a bad guy because you have to apply psychology to justify actions, and I was a psych major in college."

Bruno's character will to stop at nothing to get what he wants, including getting physical. "I got to do a number of stunts," Bruno reveals, grinning. "Matthew Bennett (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) and I had fun fighting each other and hanging out after work."

Will the pregnant sorority girl be ale to protect herself and the child that she's carrying? Tune in to the premiere of Sorority Surrogate on Saturday, March 22, at 8:00 p.m. EST on Lifetime to find out!

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Jill Larson (Opal, ALL MY CHILDREN) is returning to soaps for a two-day stint on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS beginning Monday, April 14. The actress will play Connie, a stage manager who'll try to keep things running smoothly during Chelsea's fashion show. The gig reunites her with Pine Valley pals Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea, Y&R; Annie, AMC) and Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe, Y&R; Frankie, AMC).

"Connie's in the middle of all the action," Larson tells Soaps In Depth. "It's a real fun role and when it came along, I said, 'Oh, yeah!' I'm in touch with [Y&R headwriter] Jean Passanante via E-mail, so maybe that's what triggered the idea."

Larson's getting buzz not only for her upcoming Y&R gig, but also for her appearance in the short film First Kiss, which was directed by Tatia Pilieva. Larson was one of 20 artists cast in the indie project, which captures a series of first kisses among strangers.

"I met a man who was working for the clothing company [providing outfits for the film]," Larson recalls. "We got to talking, and I kept looking around wondering who did they call in for me to kiss? Then, I realized it was him! It was very sweet."

First Kiss has gone viral on the Web. Why? Larson believes it's because the film touches on the universal themes, fears and joys that are related to locking lips. "Sometimes when you kiss someone for the first time, you think, 'Do I like this person?' 'Should I get out now?' 'Are we going upstairs?''Do I like him?' 'Does he like me?' 'What are our children going to look like?'" she muses. "The film resonates with people because of its tenderness. It expresses things that we all feel, but don't have the courage to say anymore."

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And the ABC/Prospect Park drama continues! Deadline reports that on March 7, ABC filed a countersuit against Prospect Park Networks (PPN) for failure to pay the licensing fees owed for the rights to ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE. "ABC sues to recover all unpaid Series Fees owned up to and through the date of the trial of this action as a result of Prospect Park's failure to pay in breach of the License Agreement," reads the filing.

In their Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing earlier this week, PPN claimed that they owed ABC $1.7 million, but the network says that the fees arrangement for multi-seasons series entitles them to more than $145 million, and that they were only paid a portion of the $4.5 million Season 1 fee owed for AMC, and the $4 million owed for OLTL.

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Daytime dramas have seen an uptick in ratings, but in recent years have gone through quite a bit of turmoil. And over those years, the documentary Soap Life examined the plight of the American soap opera. Now, Soap Life is being released worldwide today on a host of platforms like iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and Vudu. The feature features interviews from fans, directors, producers and actors like Rick Hearst (Ric, GENERAL HOSPITAL), Bobbie Eakes (Krystal, ALL MY CHILDREN) and more!

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In a move that should come as no surprise, Prospect Park Networks has announced that it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. After ceasing production on the on-line versions of ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE last summer, PPN entered into a lawsuit with ABC regarding the rights to the soaps, but in a statement they declared "The Chapter 11 filing in no way impacts PPN's litigation against the American Broadcasting Companies, Inc." So it would seem this continuing drama isn't quite over yet.

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You already know that many of your favorite stars have talents that go far beyond their acting abilities, and a half dozen of them are preparing to wow you with their vocal stylings with Soap Stars Sing!

The event will showcase the talent of Anthony Geary (Luke, GENERAL HOSPITAL), Bobbie Eakes (Krystal, ALL MY CHILDREN; ex-Macy, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL), Ronn Moss (ex-Ridge, B&B), Eden Riegel (Bianca, AMC), Kristen Alderson (Kiki, GH) and Vincent Irizarry (David, AMC), with more talent to be announced as the show grows closer.

Soap Stars Sing will be held on Friday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Fred Kavli Theater in Thousand Oaks, CA. Tickets are currently available on-line at varying price points, including a VIP Package that includes a post-show meet-and-greet and photo op with the actors. For more information and to order tickets, visit the show's Web site by clicking here!

As Soaps In Depth first reported in our issue that went on sale this week, Cady McClain (Kelly, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS; Dixie, ALL MY CHILDREN) and Jon Lindstrom (Kevin, GENERAL HOSPITAL) have come forward to publicly announce that they've tied the knot!

The couple became man and wife on Friday, February 14, meaning that Valentine's Day is going to be extra-special from now on! McClain and Lindstrom had a small, intimate ceremony, and in keeping with their low-key attitude, hadn't made a big announcement until now.

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The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, in cooperation with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, have announced the pre-nominees in the acting categories for the 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. Due to a rule change, the on-line versions of ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE were able to join GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS and DAYS OF OUR LIVES in the broadcast categories; However, they only scored pre-nominations in the younger performer slots.

An on-line ballot featuring all entrants in each of the six categories were sent to judges who viewed clips of their work before selecting their top ten performers in each category. However, due to ties, Outstanding Lead Actress contains 12 performers and Supporting Actor has 13. The candidates who received the highest number of votes will now advance to the blue ribbon screening round set to begin on Wednesday, March 26. This will determine the final nominees and ultimate winner.

The final list on nominees will be announced on Thursday, May 1, but you can find the full list of all the pre-nominations after the break. Did your favorites make the cut? Who would you vote for?

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Next Wednesday, March 5, marks the launch of an exciting new Web soap, BEACON HILL! New media pioneer Crystal Chappell (Dani, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL; Olivia, GUIDING LIGHT, etc.) is part of the team behind the drama, which centers on two Boston families at opposite ends of the political spectrum.

With political rivalries, romances gone bad, blackmail and family dysfunction, BEACON HILL has all the makings of a must-see series! In anticipation of the show's premiere, Soaps In Depth chatted up some of the top players in the drama for the scoop!

Alicia Minshew (Sara Preston)
"Sara left the love of her life, Kate, for this reporting job, and the break-up was painful. She's now come back to Beacon Hill for a job and bumps into Kate, so it's reigniting feelings. There are issues with Sara and her grandfather, whom Kate is now working with, and she has a tumultuous relationship with her mother, who is a drinker. She's trying to be a good reporter but stay true to her family. Everything kind of gets mixed up and muddled!"

Sarah Brown (Katherine "Kate" Wesley)
"When Crystal sent me the script, I read all 12 episodes and called her immediately. I originally wanted to play the character of Sara -- I understood where she's coming from. But Katherine ended up being much more of a challenge. I love every bit of this."

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